The Perfect Date
by btzb18
Summary: Two weeks before her thirtieth birthday, Bella decided things needed to change. Where was that perfect husband and family that was promised in the storybooks? It was this thinking that led her to do the impossible. Date. EXB. HEA
1. Tyler Crowley

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Good? :) **

**P.S. My personal views on age are completely opposite of Bella's. Please don't send me hate mail. :D**

**P.P.S Sorry if there are many mistakes. I don't have a beta and there are only so many times I can read the chapter before seeing dots on the screen haha. **

Chapter 1: Tyler Crowley

**Monday. Week One.**

There comes a point in every woman's life, where she has to admit defeat. For Isabella Swan, that day had arrived. On August 23, exactly three weeks until her thirtieth birthday, it smacked her right in the face. She was getting old. Everyone her age was married and having children. She couldn't put it off any longer.

After working with children every day for seven years, Bella had realized what she was missing. She wanted a child of her own. Watching someone else's child could only satisfy the need for a short while until the parent came and ripped him or her away.

And that is why she found herself doing the impossible.

Dating.

"So, Tyler, where did you say you worked, again?" She asked the man currently sitting across from her. The man was handsome enough. Still had braces, but…cute.

"I'm a musician. I'm waiting for my big break" He smiled. What thirty-year-old man had braces?

"Uh huh" Bella replied, trying not to stare. _Definitely not number three or four_, she mumbled to herself.

"Alright, well, thank you Tyler" She stood up and held out her hand.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Isabella Swan" Tyler replied, the lisp giving him a hard time with the letter 'S.' Bella forced the smile as he moved forward for a hug.

"Oh, alright" She mumbled as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. When he finally left, Bella sighed and sat back down.

"Dear God" She groaned. She heard a laugh and the scrape of a chair against the hardwood floor.

"He's a keeper" The laugher said. Bella looked up and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah" She sighed. "What thirty-year-old man has braces?" She voiced. The man across from her laughed once more and leaned back in his chair.

"I was afraid they would get caught in your hair when he went in to paw at you" He replied.

"Why can't I find a semi-decent man, Edward?" She whined.

"I resent that. You won't even give me a chance" He smirked. Bella's eyes scanned his ink-covered arms and pierced ear.

"You already broke rules number one and two on my list" She laughed.

"What? These little things?" He laughed, pointing to his piercing and arms. "Birthmarks" He replied. A woman yelled his name so he stood up and pushed in his chair.

"Alright, well, gotta go" He told her. "Boss is a real slave-driver" She smiled at him and waved him off. Another 'don't' on her list. Number three: Must have a steady job. _A waiter_, Bella mused, _is not a steady job._ She would love to give Edward a chance. He was funny and smart, not to mention incredibly gorgeous, but it would go against everything she was trying to achieve.

Edward could and would only be a temporary thing, and Bella needed permanent.

He was very nice to look at and he helped make her smile after a terrible date. Plus, Bella didn't really have any good friends so Edward was a lifesaver in that department. And in friend zone he would stay.

Bella gathered her things after writing a quick note in her planner.

**Tyler Crowley: ****1**** and ****2**

"Another wasted hour of my life" Bella sighed. "Back to the drawing board" She pushed in her chair and left a generous tip. No need to take it out on someone else.

She felt the cold air hit her skin as she opened the door. The restaurant was a corner café. It wasn't a large place, more of a cozy bakery than anything else. It was Bella's favorite. The food was amazing and the one time she came at night, she saw that the owner had transformed it into a French-style restaurant.

Classical music had been playing from the speakers and the tables outside each had a candle with a rose next to it as the centerpiece. Simplistically romantic.

She tossed her bag into the back seat of her ridiculously cheap car and got inside. After the fourth try, the car finally started and Bella was on her way. She had to stop by the craft store before going home. School was starting next Thursday and she hadn't gotten supplies yet. Luckily, it was only a few minutes away.

Bella parked the car in front of the store a few minutes later and walked inside. _Thank God for the teacher discount_ she sighed as she put the bags in the trunk a half an hour later. Now she could go home.

The drive to her condo took about three minutes, which is exactly why she got the place. Three minutes from the craft shop, five from the elementary school.

She had to jiggle the doorknob a bit until it clicked, signaling it was open. Once inside, she closed the door with her foot and set the bags on the kitchen table. She checked her phone for messages which revealed yet another salesman trying to convince her to buy a Stairmaster.

She walked into the dining room and turned on her dial-up computer before heading into the kitchen. After making a quick sandwich, she stepped back into the dining room and clicked the Internet button. By the time she could get into her e-mail, she had finished her meal and placed the plate in the dishwasher. She sent two emails.

_Dear Dad, _

_Everything here is fine. Mom is doing great. I will try to visit again soon. _

_Love, Bella_

_Dear Mom, _

_Yes, I am getting out more. No, I haven't met Mr. Right yet. How is Phil?_

_Love, Isabella. _

**Yes, I know it is really short and I wish I could promise that the chapters will get longer, but I can't. My plan for this story is that it will just be a small, simple love story. No major drama and angst, just fluff really and I completely understand if that is not your thing. **

**In the end I am writing this for myself because I personally am obsessed with _way_ too many angsty stories right now and need an escape and if you happen to enjoy this as well, I would love to hear suggestions and opinions on it. I know where I want it to end up but the last five chapters aren't written yet and I would be thrilled if someone would help me out as I currently don't have any friends here on Fanfic :(. (Yes, that was a guilt trip) This short story will be about 13 chapters with two outtakes planned. **

**If you are interested, please let me know. And if you want to read a few chapters first, that's fine too. Please let me know either way or just feel bad for me and be my friend anyways haha. You can contact me through email: **

**btzb18(at)hotmail(dot)com or find me on Twitter, though, I must warn you, I am new to the enigma that is Twitter. My penname is the same there. **

**The complete list of Bella's "requirements" will be posted at the end of next chapter. **

**I _can_ promise that this is the longest AN there will be at the end of a chapter with the exception of Bella's list next chapter. :)**


	2. Mike Newton

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. **

2- Mike Newton

**Tuesday. Week One.**

"I just love my job, you know? I mean, I really love the people. The response is phenomenal" Bella's next date drabbled.

"Yes, I under—"

"They just never give up on me, I love it. Even if I mess up a few times, they are always loyal fans" He continued.

"And you love that?" Bella guessed. Mike Newton nodded enthusiastically.

"Alright, well—"

"And you know what else?" He interrupted. Bella sighed but smiled.

"I love the people I work with. They are so nice" He laughed.

"That's wonderful, really. I just realized that I have to be somewhere though. It was nice meeting you, Mike" Bella said quickly. Halfway through it he looked like he was about to interrupt again. She got out of her seat and grabbed her jacket and purse.

"I'll see you soon?" He asked as he got up.

"Sure" She lied and held her hand out. Mike grabbed it and lifted it to his lips.

"Until next time" He said dramatically and gave her a loud kiss on the hand. She kept the smile on her face until the door closed behind him, then fell back into the chair.

Mike Newton- 1, 2, 3, 4

"What can I get for you today, ma'am?" She heard. Bella looked up and saw Edward smirking down at her.

"The regular" She sighed and dropped her jacket and bag on the ground.

"So, his fans love him, huh?" He laughed. Bella shook her head but gave a genuine smile.

"He's the weatherman for channel five" She replied. Edward laughed loudly, attracting the attention of the other diners.

"Shut up. He was….sweet" She told him. He laughed again and held his gut.

"Oh, dear god, I hope I'm never called sweet by a date" He chuckled.

"Alright, one chocolate croissant coming right up" He said, still laughing. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before turning and walking toward the kitchen. Bella had learned that Edward was a touchy-feely kind of guy the first day she met him, when he held her hand while consoling her.

She would date one million Mikes if it meant never going on another date with Rick. Mouth plus spit plus talk equals date's wet hair.

Bella pulled out a book from her bag and turned to the bookmarked page.

"Here's your food, ma'am" She heard a few minutes later. She put her book down and saw a little boy putting the plate on her table. He had his brown hair slicked back, showing that he had striking blue eyes. He was wearing an ironed white shirt with a vest over it and slacks with dress shoes. A little heartbreaker.

"Thank you" Bella replied.

"You are welcome. My name is Grant. Just holler if you need anything else" He told her and walked off. Bella laughed to herself before digging into the warm French pastry. A few minutes later, after she had finished the croissant, Bella met Grant once again.

"Hello, again, Miss" He said. "Would you like me to take this for you?" He asked. Bella smiled and shook her head.

"No, I'm fine, thank you. Would you like to sit?" She asked. The little boy looked back over his shoulder, then smiled.

"I would love to" He said. He pulled out the chair and crawled atop it. Bella closed her book once again and put it in her bag.

"So how long have you been working here?" She asked him.

"For about three years now" Grant replied. "I'm earning some money while I'm finishing school" He added. Bella nodded.

"That's very smart. What year are you in?" She replied.

"Year two" He stated.

"Oh, that's a great year" Bella commented. Grant nodded and got out of the chair.

"Grant, sweetie, I need your help" A woman said as she walked toward them.

"Hello, I'm Alice, Grant's mother" She said to Bella. Bella stood up and shook her hand. She could tell where Grant got his looks. The woman's long, brown, curly hair framed her heart-shaped face and her blue eyes were accented only with her long, dark lashes.

"He is a lovely young man" Bella said, smiling at the little boy now under his mother's arm.

"Yeah, he takes after his father" Alice laughed. She leaned down and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and said goodbye before walking back to the kitchen.

"His uncle spoils him rotten" Alice said as she watched her little boy walk away. "My brother owns the place" She told Bella. "Lets him work here for experience" She added.

Bella nodded and smiled at the young woman.

"How old is he?" She asked. Alice turned back to face her and smiled.

"He's turning seven in a few months" She replied.

"I have to get back to work. It was nice meeting you" She said a moment later. Bella smiled and watched the woman walk away. Then she grabbed the book from her bag and sat back down.

She loved this restaurant.

**For the readers that have this on story alert, I hope you are enjoying it so far. I would love to hear your thoughts on the chapters, be them praises or complaints, but if you feel uncomfortable about reviewing or don't have the time, or even have no opinion on the story whatsoever, that's cool too. Just knowing someone is reading is fine with me. :) The next chapter is a bit longer than the first two. **

**Bella's list of requirements:**

**1. No Tattoos**

**2. No Piercings**

**3. Steady Job**

**4. Nice Smile**

**5. Intelligent**

**6. Mentally Stable**

**7. Good Features**

**8. Has good friends/family**

**9. Funny**

**10. Doesn't try to kiss/hug on first date**

**11. Wants children**

**12. Makes me feel comfortable**

**13. No smoking or drinking excessively **

**Is there anything you think I should add to or take away from her list?**

**I will try to update every other Friday from now on, but with my classes starting next week, there are no guarantees. **

**Unless, of course, I had someone that wanted to help out. Wink wink, nudge nudge. **

**Last guilt trip, I promise. **


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